https://www.scmp.com/rss/91/feed All the latest breaking news from Hong Kong, China and around the world en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Zhang Tong,Seong Hyeon Choi Zhang Tong,Seong Hyeon Choi We were weeks into a three-month assignment reporting from the SCMP bureau in Washington when we heard a shooting just around the corner from our apartment building. From our flat, we often hear trucks going past and loud noise from the ventilation system several storeys below. But as we got ready for work at 8am on Thursday we heard something unusual – “bang, bang, bang”. It was gunfire, and it sounded like it was right outside our apartment. Soon after, we heard fire alarms, police sirens and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3374284/shooting-close-home-reporters-view-grim-reality-us-capital https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3374284/shooting-close-home-reporters-view-grim-reality-us-capital Fri, 13 Nov 2026 02:34:39 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings A new tariff of up to 30 per cent on e-commerce goods entering Thailand may squeeze Chinese vendors, but intense price competition and their ability to keep costs low are likely to limit its impact, analysts said. Thailand’s cabinet on Monday authorised the finance ministry to impose duties of up to 30 per cent on goods ordered through foreign e-commerce platforms and delivered by express courier or international post, according to Thai media. The actual rate will vary by product. The new... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3374280/chinese-e-commerce-sellers-brace-thai-import-duties-will-30-tariff-threaten-sales https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3374280/chinese-e-commerce-sellers-brace-thai-import-duties-will-30-tariff-threaten-sales Fri, 13 Nov 2026 02:19:15 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu After a 55-year-old Chinese cleaner went viral for his handsome appearance, he said he would continue doing his job with a down-to-earth attitude. Chen Jingfu, a cleaner at a high-end shopping centre in Shenyang, in northeastern China’s Liaoning province, shot to fame overnight after footage of him at work went viral. Many compared him to Chinese actors Hu Ge, known for TV series such as Blossoms Shanghai and Chinese Paladin, and Yan Yikuan, whose looks are often described as “God’s work”. Some... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3374281/chinese-cleaner-movie-star-looks-goes-viral-drawing-comparisons-top-actor-hu-ge https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3374281/chinese-cleaner-movie-star-looks-goes-viral-drawing-comparisons-top-actor-hu-ge Fri, 13 Nov 2026 02:18:45 +0000 Lynn Zhang Lynn Zhang Members of the Hong Kong Golf Club gathered on the putting green this autumn to take part in two sporting events, both aimed at supporting charitable causes and strengthening community ties. Beyond world-class competition, the club has used the Link Hong Kong Open as a platform to promote charitable giving and community engagement, working alongside the annual fundraising campaign Operation Santa Claus (OSC). The 65th edition of the Link Hong Kong Open was held at the Hong Kong Golf Club’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3374226/par-cause-hong-kong-golf-club-raises-funds-builds-community-through-sports https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3374226/par-cause-hong-kong-golf-club-raises-funds-builds-community-through-sports Fri, 13 Nov 2026 02:15:06 +0000 Kristen Cheung Kristen Cheung Hong Kong is set for heavy showers and thunderstorms from Friday night, with urban area temperatures forecast to fall to as low as 19 degrees Celsius (66 Fahrenheit) next week as a cold front reaches the Guangdong coast. The Hong Kong Observatory said upper-air disturbances would bring showers and a few squally thunderstorms to southern China on Friday and Saturday. The city will see sunny periods on Friday, but showers will develop in the afternoon and intensify at night, accompanied by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3374276/thunderstorms-hit-hong-kong-friday-ahead-colder-weather-next-week https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3374276/thunderstorms-hit-hong-kong-friday-ahead-colder-weather-next-week Fri, 13 Nov 2026 01:33:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Less than half of households in Japan subscribe to a daily newspaper, a level not seen in about 60 years, according to a media tracking report, signalling further evidence of the decline of print as the favoured news medium in the country. While the report shows most Japanese no longer read newspapers, they still trust legacy media more than online media. “It is commonly said that two factors have reduced the number of people subscribing to print newspapers,” said Tetsuo Hatanaka, a professor at... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3374274/fewer-japanese-subscribe-newspapers-yet-they-trust-print-media-more https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3374274/fewer-japanese-subscribe-newspapers-yet-they-trust-print-media-more Fri, 13 Nov 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen China has approved US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly’s weight-loss pill orforglipron, making it the country’s first available oral GLP-1 treatment for obesity as global drug makers seek to tap the country’s massive weight-management market. China’s National Medical Products Administration announced the approval on Thursday, saying that the once-daily pill, marketed as Foundayo, could be used for chronic weight management by obese or overweight adults. GLP-1 receptor agonists are synthetic... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3374229/eli-lilly-beats-novo-nordisk-china-approval-first-oral-glp-1-weight-loss-drug https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3374229/eli-lilly-beats-novo-nordisk-china-approval-first-oral-glp-1-weight-loss-drug Fri, 13 Nov 2026 01:01:06 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen Macroeconomic issues are occupying the thoughts of leading Japanese multinationals as they adjust strategies in China, but few say they worry that diplomatic tensions will cost them opportunities in one of their largest overseas markets. Big names, from Panasonic to Hitachi, used a major trade show in Shanghai this week to highlight their commitment to China and parade their offerings. While nimbly navigating geopolitical headwinds, they are also looking forward to possible exchanges between... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3374215/why-japanese-firms-are-shrugging-bilateral-tensions-adjusting-china-sales-strategies https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3374215/why-japanese-firms-are-shrugging-bilateral-tensions-adjusting-china-sales-strategies Fri, 13 Nov 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The US administration of President Donald Trump has demanded Japan triple its spending on hosting American troops to more than 3 trillion yen (US$19 billion) over five years starting in the 2027 financial year, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Japan is considering substantially increasing the payment to its major security ally to roughly 1.5 trillion yen, they said. The coming host-nation support for US forces stationed in Japan is expected to include spending to boost... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3374275/trump-demands-japan-triple-american-troop-hosting-costs-us19-billion https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3374275/trump-demands-japan-triple-american-troop-hosting-costs-us19-billion Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:53:52 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen From large factory premises in Tseung Kwan O to compact, multilayered industrial buildings in Kwai Chung, data centres are spreading into every corner of Hong Kong. The outlook once appeared promising. Property consultancy Cushman & Wakefield ranked the city the fourth-best data centre market globally in 2023, while the government had branded Hong Kong a “prime location for data centres”. But reality has been less kind. Hong Kong was not even among the top 10 Asia-Pacific markets in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3374262/why-hong-kong-losing-ground-ai-data-centre-race-malaysia-singapore-advance https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3374262/why-hong-kong-losing-ground-ai-data-centre-race-malaysia-singapore-advance Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:30:05 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Indonesia’s fresh drills this month on its first and only aircraft carrier have refocused attention on the issue of whether the costly, ageing vessel is being put to good strategic use. The KRI Sriwijaya-100, commissioned two months ago, should be deployed for power projection and military operations far from Jakarta’s shores, analysts say, warning that underutilisation risks turning the military asset into “a sitting duck”. The Indonesian navy conducted helicopter operation drills aboard the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3374221/indonesias-new-aircraft-carrier-worth-its-us98700-day-fuel-cost https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3374221/indonesias-new-aircraft-carrier-worth-its-us98700-day-fuel-cost Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A lightsaber used by Darth Vader in the Star Wars films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi sold on Thursday for nearly US$5 million in an auction. The lightsaber, which was used in the climactic duel in Cloud City where Vader tells Luke Skywalker “I am your father”, sold for US$4.875 million at the Ultimate Star Wars Auction held by Heritage Auctions in London, Britain. The sale marks a world auction record for any Star Wars collectible, according to Heritage Auctions. The sale also... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3374272/darth-vaders-lightsaber-used-i-am-your-father-duel-sells-nearly-us5-million https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3374272/darth-vaders-lightsaber-used-i-am-your-father-duel-sells-nearly-us5-million Thu, 12 Nov 2026 23:32:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Urgent action is needed to help countries hardest-hit by the effects of climate change, small island leaders said on Thursday at the United Nations climate talks in Turkey, describing global warming as a life-or-death issue for their people. “It is time to move past the talking,” said Alix Sebastien Pillay, vice-president of Seychelles, who said the survival of his country, a 115-island archipelago in the Indian Ocean, is at stake. “For Seychelles, climate action is not simply an environmental... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3374271/climate-vulnerable-nations-urge-immediate-action-un-cop31-summit https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3374271/climate-vulnerable-nations-urge-immediate-action-un-cop31-summit Thu, 12 Nov 2026 23:01:00 +0000 Han Li,Nayan Seth Han Li,Nayan Seth Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang’s abrupt departure has raised fresh questions about the future of US-China technology ties, as observers weigh the potential fallout from Washington’s policy on advanced AI chip exports to China. The timing is particularly sensitive, with US lawmakers debating an annual defence authorisation bill amid growing calls to tighten restrictions on China’s access to advanced AI chips. Ling Chen, an associate professor of political economy at Johns Hopkins University,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374270/jensen-huangs-departure-may-signal-tighter-us-controls-ai-chip-exports-china https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374270/jensen-huangs-departure-may-signal-tighter-us-controls-ai-chip-exports-china Thu, 12 Nov 2026 22:35:06 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez,Caroline Lin Gabriel Dominguez,Caroline Lin Japan aims to become harder to defeat militarily and less vulnerable to economic pressure from China under plans to overhaul its three key security documents by the end of the year. Analysts said the proposed revisions could make it more difficult for China to achieve its military objectives or use financial leverage on Japan, but that their impact would depend on Tokyo’s ability to translate its plans into practical capabilities. Some also said that stronger Japanese defences could prompt... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3374244/japan-looks-strengthen-defences-and-security-strategy-analysts-warn-escalation https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3374244/japan-looks-strengthen-defences-and-security-strategy-analysts-warn-escalation Thu, 12 Nov 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pro-Palestinian activists have asked a French court to ban an Israeli property fair in Paris which they say offers a bonus to prospective Jewish settlers in the occupied territories, sources told Agence France-Presse on Thursday. The Franco-Palestinian NIDAL association filed an emergency motion to a court against the 9th Icube property and investment salon, arguing that the fair violates human rights. The event is to take place on Sunday at the European Centre for Judaism in the French... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3374269/pro-palestinian-group-seeks-ban-israeli-property-fair-paris https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3374269/pro-palestinian-group-seeks-ban-israeli-property-fair-paris Thu, 12 Nov 2026 21:26:51 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Nvidia is searching for its first new leader in 33 years after Jensen Huang quit on Thursday, with interim chief Colette Kress, veteran engineers, members of Huang’s own family and the bosses of rival chipmakers all touted as possible successors. The AI chip giant was left without the only leader it has ever had when Huang, 63, stepped down as president, chief executive and board member. The move was announced with immediate effect, according to a company filing with the US Securities and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374268/nvidias-hunt-jensen-huangs-successor-insiders-rivals-and-trump-pick https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374268/nvidias-hunt-jensen-huangs-successor-insiders-rivals-and-trump-pick Thu, 12 Nov 2026 21:08:47 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The United States has paid to design a port infrastructure programme at Callao, the US State Department said on Thursday, as Peru moves its main naval base to expand the country’s busiest port, which rivals a Chinese-controlled megaport less than 80km up the coast at Chancay. The US$4.5 million payment was disclosed in a note on a trip to Peru and Colombia earlier this month by Thomas DiNanno, State Department undersecretary for arms control and international security, whose remit includes... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3374267/us-invests-perus-callao-port-battle-chinas-chancay-megaport-continues https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3374267/us-invests-perus-callao-port-battle-chinas-chancay-megaport-continues Thu, 12 Nov 2026 20:42:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters Senior White House officials are discussing whether Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick should be pushed out amid a spy scandal surrounding Nvidia’s now-former CEO Jensen Huang, two people familiar with the situation said on Thursday. A growing number of lawmakers criticised Lutnick for the administration’s refusal to add dozens of Chinese companies to a key US trade blacklist, and over whether the government was properly overseeing Nvidia’s exports to China. Criticism ‌of Lutnick’s actions... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374266/white-house-discussing-howard-lutnicks-future-commerce-secretary-sources-say https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374266/white-house-discussing-howard-lutnicks-future-commerce-secretary-sources-say Thu, 12 Nov 2026 20:19:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and US envoy Jared Kushner said Thursday Europe would join the next round of talks with Russia, as Vladimir Putin indicated Moscow will not compromise on its hardline demands to end almost five years of war. In a packed day of shuttle diplomacy following negotiations in Abu Dhabi, Kushner and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff held over four hours of talks with Putin in the Kremlin before jetting to debrief Zelensky in Dublin. As they spoke to journalists on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3374265/putin-indicates-he-will-not-compromise-ukraine-meeting-us-envoys https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3374265/putin-indicates-he-will-not-compromise-ukraine-meeting-us-envoys Thu, 12 Nov 2026 19:05:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli fire killed 11 people in Gaza on Thursday, six of them in the bombing of Nasser hospital in south Gaza early in the day, health officials said, the deadliest single strike since Israel’s elections last month. The Israeli military confirmed the attack, saying they targeted “the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis brigade Muhammad Abu Ismail and additional terrorists hiding inside of Nasser hospital”. The hospital, located in the southern city of Khan Younis, confirmed the six deaths in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3374264/israeli-strike-gaza-hospital-kills-11-deadliest-attack-election https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3374264/israeli-strike-gaza-hospital-kills-11-deadliest-attack-election Thu, 12 Nov 2026 18:32:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A South Carolina man accused of burying his 11-month-old son in a dog crate in a clump of scrubby pines was denied bond at a hearing on Thursday. Michael Comer, 25, showed no remorse for attempting to kill his son, Koah, and trying to flee the state. He has been charged with attempted murder, burglary and unlawfully placing a child at risk in connection with the disappearance and rescue of his son, Koah, who survived and is expected to make a full recovery. Comer has been in custody in Lexington... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374263/us-infant-survives-being-buried-alive-father-charged-attempted-murder https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374263/us-infant-survives-being-buried-alive-father-charged-attempted-murder Thu, 12 Nov 2026 17:54:32 +0000 Orange Wang,Eve Qiao,Alyssa Chen Orange Wang,Eve Qiao,Alyssa Chen The United States and China should set up a dedicated hotline to help reduce the risk of AI-induced nuclear attacks, analysts have said. The call came amid a fresh push by Washington to prioritise high-level talks on arms controls. In a phone conversation on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agreed that meaningful leader-level conversations would help “advance goals such as peace and denuclearisation”, according to the Department of State. US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374246/cold-war-lessons-ai-age-how-us-china-hotline-could-help-stop-nuclear-attack https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374246/cold-war-lessons-ai-age-how-us-china-hotline-could-help-stop-nuclear-attack Thu, 12 Nov 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Armed robbers stole goods worth more than €1 million (US$1.1 million) from a De Beers jewellery shop in Paris on Thursday before fleeing on scooters, authorities and a police source told Agence France-Presse. The suspects, carrying long guns, targeted the shop in the city’s 2nd arrondissement at around 11am local time. During the robbery, they brandished their weapons but did not open fire, and no one was injured, according to the Paris police. A police source estimated the value at more than €1... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3374261/armed-robbers-flee-paris-de-beers-store-goods-worth-hundreds-thousands https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3374261/armed-robbers-flee-paris-de-beers-store-goods-worth-hundreds-thousands Thu, 12 Nov 2026 14:36:14 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Major Hong Kong retailers Sogo and Chow Sang Sang have disclosed separate data breaches after unauthorised parties accessed their systems, potentially exposing the personal information of customers, including that of up to 820,000 Sogo loyalty members. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data disclosed the Sogo figures on Thursday, hours after Hong Kong’s largest department store announced it had alerted authorities a week earlier to abnormal data access within its membership... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3374260/hong-kong-sogo-data-breach-puts-personal-information-820000-members-risk https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3374260/hong-kong-sogo-data-breach-puts-personal-information-820000-members-risk Thu, 12 Nov 2026 14:35:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A disgruntled resident shot dead his building manager and wounded four other people in an upscale neighbourhood of Washington on Thursday before killing himself, police said amid a massive law enforcement response that shut down part of the city. The shooting, which occurred about a mile north of the White House, sparked a massive police response in the nation’s capital with dozens of law enforcement vehicles racing to the scene and police helicopters hovering overhead. Dramatic dispatch audio... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374259/5-people-shot-neighbourhood-north-us-white-house https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374259/5-people-shot-neighbourhood-north-us-white-house Thu, 12 Nov 2026 14:23:48 +0000 Lexi Tian Lexi Tian Raymond, 66, lived in constant fear of becoming a burden to his family in recent years as his lung disease, diagnosed 16 years ago, worsened, and he needed an organ transplant to survive. The pulmonary fibrosis patient said on Thursday that he had waited to receive a lung transplant for more than two years after being placed on the waiting list in 2023. His brother, who suffered from the same condition, died three years after being diagnosed. Pulmonary fibrosis is one of more than 200 lung... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3374258/constant-fear-lung-patients-long-wait-transplant-highlights-urgent-need https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3374258/constant-fear-lung-patients-long-wait-transplant-highlights-urgent-need Thu, 12 Nov 2026 14:18:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the US does not need a deal with Iran and directed Vice-President J.D. Vance, who has played a role in efforts to resolve the war, to focus “his complete and total attention” on alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-run cities and states. Trump’s directive came a day after the ‌Wall Street Journal reported that Vance was considering face-to-face peace talks with a hardline Iranian security official and a week after the vice-president blamed the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374257/trump-says-us-does-not-need-deal-iran https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374257/trump-says-us-does-not-need-deal-iran Thu, 12 Nov 2026 14:17:38 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Former Megaspeed executive Alice Huang, accused by the US of being a Chinese spy and linked to an extramarital affair with tech giant Nvidia’s co-founder Jensen Huang, has been barred from re-entering Singapore over inaccurate information provided to police. Alice Huang, a Hong Kong resident, was found to have downplayed her role in Megaspeed in investigations by Singapore police, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement on Thursday. The ministry’s announcement was soon followed by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3374256/megaspeed-ex-ceo-alice-huang-barred-singapore-amid-nvidia-scandal https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3374256/megaspeed-ex-ceo-alice-huang-barred-singapore-amid-nvidia-scandal Thu, 12 Nov 2026 14:07:35 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Contractors, subcontractors, consultants and professionals linked to a scandal involving defective lifts at Queen Mary Hospital may have committed illegal acts, Hong Kong authorities have said, while also acknowledging shortcomings in two government departments. The Development Bureau on Thursday released the findings of an investigation into the installation of lifts in a new clinical block at the public hospital in Pok Fu Lam. The probe identified shortcomings in the Architectural Services... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3374251/queen-mary-hospital-lift-scandal-may-involve-illegal-acts-probe-finds https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3374251/queen-mary-hospital-lift-scandal-may-involve-illegal-acts-probe-finds Thu, 12 Nov 2026 13:48:23 +0000 Albee Zhang Albee Zhang China on Thursday criticised Chile and Belgium’s combined bid to host the secretariat of the High Seas Treaty, accusing the countries of “politicising the bidding process and dividing members into opposing camps”. The three countries had previously submitted competing proposals to host the secretariat – the administrative headquarters of the treaty, also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement – until Chile and Belgium announced their joint bid on Friday. Chile... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374252/china-slams-chile-belgium-bid-host-high-seas-treaty-body-pushes-rival-xiamen-proposal https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3374252/china-slams-chile-belgium-bid-host-high-seas-treaty-body-pushes-rival-xiamen-proposal Thu, 12 Nov 2026 13:47:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press At least eight people died after a three-storey building in Brooklyn collapsed at the edge of a construction site, New York City’s mayor said on Thursday, as firefighters kept digging through the rubble to find others who may be trapped beneath the wreckage. Search crews peered into crevices in the rubble, pulling out victims and at least one survivor overnight. At least 17 people were injured, including three firefighters, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. It is not clear how many more people might... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374250/death-toll-new-york-building-collapse-rises-8 https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374250/death-toll-new-york-building-collapse-rises-8 Thu, 12 Nov 2026 13:43:09 +0000 Kristen Cheung Kristen Cheung Police have arrested 10 people for allegedly selling counterfeit tickets to shows in Hong Kong, including concerts by Korean boy band BigBang, swindling victims out of at least HK$360,000 (US$46,150) through online scams and fake storefronts. The police force said on Thursday that the counterfeits were almost identical to genuine tickets and hard to spot as fakes with the naked eye, but were made of rougher paper, had duller printing and lacked the genuine tickets’ laser-emitting corner... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3374249/hong-kong-police-arrest-10-selling-fake-tickets-bigbang-and-other-concerts https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3374249/hong-kong-police-arrest-10-selling-fake-tickets-bigbang-and-other-concerts Thu, 12 Nov 2026 13:34:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pakistan released two of former prime minister Imran Khan’s sisters from prison on Thursday, after weeks in jail ahead of a planned anti-government march by their brother’s party, their lawyer said. Uzma Khan and Noreen ‌Niazi were freed from Kot Lakhpat Jail in the eastern city of Lahore after the government suspended their detention orders, lawyer Mudassar Umar said. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said another of his sisters, Aleema Khan, remained in prison. Pakistan’s government said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3374245/pakistan-frees-2-ex-pm-imran-khans-sisters-jail https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3374245/pakistan-frees-2-ex-pm-imran-khans-sisters-jail Thu, 12 Nov 2026 12:50:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to double tariffs on Mexico if it does not stop ‌more than a thousand migrants walking north towards the United States after last week’s US election, warning that they would not be allowed to enter. “Here we go ⁠again!” Trump wrote on social media. “They will not ‌be accepted! MEXICO MUST STOP THEM, NOW, and if they do ‌not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico ⁠will ⁠be IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED. MEXICO, THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, THE ‌VERY LIBERAL NEW GOVERNOR OF... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374243/trump-threatens-double-tariffs-mexico-if-it-does-not-halt-migrants https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3374243/trump-threatens-double-tariffs-mexico-if-it-does-not-halt-migrants Thu, 12 Nov 2026 12:45:51 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Financial markets are prone to knee-jerk reactions. Last week’s dramatic sell-off in US technology stocks in response to the sweeping victory of the Democratic Party in America’s midterm elections was clearly overdone, yet even the most bullish tech analysts acknowledge the results mark an inflection point for the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure buildout. Not only did the Democrats secure majorities in both chambers of the US Congress, they seized control of state legislatures and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3374149/us-data-centre-backlash-could-be-blessing-disguise-ai-buildout https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3374149/us-data-centre-backlash-could-be-blessing-disguise-ai-buildout Thu, 12 Nov 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Britain’s ⁠media regulator Ofcom ⁠said on Thursday ⁠it had fined Meta £450,000 (US$597,000) for providing inaccurate information about its WhatsApp Business service in response to requests it made as part of its ‌telecoms market review. Ofcom reviewed the market for business bulk SMS text messages in 2025 to better understand the services available to businesses. Ofcom sought information in 2025 about WhatsApp for Business, including messaging ⁠volumes and revenues. The regulator said Meta had... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3374238/uk-fines-meta-us597000-over-repeated-inaccuracies-whatsapp-data https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3374238/uk-fines-meta-us597000-over-repeated-inaccuracies-whatsapp-data Thu, 12 Nov 2026 12:00:47 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan will close its representative office in Papua New Guinea later this month after the Pacific island country repeatedly demanded its closure, citing its “one-China policy”. The withdrawal will cut off Taiwanese technical assistance and end decades of cooperation with PNG, including halting spot-market purchases of the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) – a move Taipei said could deal a blow to the nation’s export earnings. “It is deeply regrettable that, under pressure from [Beijing],... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3374232/taiwan-close-papua-new-guinea-office-and-halt-spot-market-lng-purchases https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3374232/taiwan-close-papua-new-guinea-office-and-halt-spot-market-lng-purchases Thu, 12 Nov 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesian police said on Thursday they have enough initial evidence to pursue treason charges against four suspects in a case involving the wiretapping of President Prabowo Subianto, as lawmakers urged detectives to uncover who ordered the ‌bugging. Former police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who is not related to the president, and three other senior police officials were arrested last week over accusations of unauthorised monitoring of phones belonging to Prabowo, government officials,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3374237/indonesia-police-say-enough-evidence-treason-charges-wiretap-scandal https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3374237/indonesia-police-say-enough-evidence-treason-charges-wiretap-scandal Thu, 12 Nov 2026 11:46:17 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Two Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific flights from London and Tokyo were forced to return or divert on two consecutive days after developing technical issues, prompting the airline to arrange alternative travel for affected passengers and issue apologies. The city’s flag carrier confirmed on Thursday that flight CX252, which departed London Heathrow Airport for Hong Kong on Tuesday, made a precautionary return to the airport following a technical issue, landing safely at 2.23pm local time. On... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3374236/technical-issues-force-2-cathay-pacific-flights-london-and-tokyo-return-or-divert https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3374236/technical-issues-force-2-cathay-pacific-flights-london-and-tokyo-return-or-divert Thu, 12 Nov 2026 11:44:42 +0000 Cannix Yau Cannix Yau A potential wave of claims could arise from last year’s deadly Tai Po fire, Hong Kong’s judiciary has warned, urging parties to settle their disputes through mediation or other forms of alternative resolution, with litigation as a last resort. The judiciary issued two special practice notes on Thursday, one covering all civil claims arising from the Wang Fuk Court fire and the other for employees’ compensation claims. They aim to ensure a “fair and proportionate distribution of judicial... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3374233/tai-po-fire-claims-hong-kong-judiciary-urges-mediation-court-action https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3374233/tai-po-fire-claims-hong-kong-judiciary-urges-mediation-court-action Thu, 12 Nov 2026 11:32:06 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Workers at New Zealand’s largest retailer have had to resort to defecating in the distribution aisles after their bathroom breaks were tracked by artificial intelligence, their union has claimed. More than 300 employees of The Warehouse protested in Auckland and Christchurch on Thursday against technology monitoring them and taking over their jobs, The New Zealand Herald reported. In recent months, the company had been using drones for stocktaking, a robot for packing orders and AI to monitor... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3374231/new-zealand-workers-say-ai-tracking-toilet-breaks-forces-them-hold https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3374231/new-zealand-workers-say-ai-tracking-toilet-breaks-forces-them-hold Thu, 12 Nov 2026 10:48:08 +0000 William Zheng,Amber Wang William Zheng,Amber Wang Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that Beijing was ready to engage in dialogue on Taiwan reunification with “people of vision” from across the island. Xi pledged to accommodate the island’s realities but took a hard line against separatism in a speech at a ceremony marking the 160th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen, one of the nation’s revolutionary forefathers who is revered on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. He said the reunification of the island with the mainland was an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3374228/xi-jinping-calls-dialogue-taiwan-reunification-people-vision https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3374228/xi-jinping-calls-dialogue-taiwan-reunification-people-vision Thu, 12 Nov 2026 10:46:45 +0000 Chong Ming Lee Chong Ming Lee Nvidia’s board of directors is facing perhaps its biggest test yet as it weighs whether to oust chief executive Jensen Huang, the man credited with transforming the chipmaker into one of the world’s most valuable companies. The board was reportedly preparing to remove Huang after reports that he had an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice-president of healthcare, who reported to him, according to The New York Times and Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. The latest... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3374203/loyalty-vs-accountability-look-nvidia-board-deciding-ceo-jensen-huangs-fate https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3374203/loyalty-vs-accountability-look-nvidia-board-deciding-ceo-jensen-huangs-fate Thu, 12 Nov 2026 10:30:04 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A Hong Kong group comprising leaders from different industries has launched a guide to promote responsible use of artificial intelligence, calling for organisations to designate clear owners for their AI initiatives to strengthen accountability. Releasing the 209-page Guidelines on Responsible Corporate and Institutional Adoption of Artificial Intelligence on Thursday, the Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong said that with the rise of autonomous AI agents, organisations needed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3374227/cross-industry-association-hong-kong-releases-guide-responsible-ai-use https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3374227/cross-industry-association-hong-kong-releases-guide-responsible-ai-use Thu, 12 Nov 2026 10:29:39 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran South Korea should use its growing economic clout over Laos to crack down on Pyongyang’s IT workers allegedly using the Southeast Asian nation as a base to secure remote jobs under false identities and funnel earnings to their regime’s weapons programmes, according to analysts. Authorities in Seoul and Washington have launched investigations into such schemes, with analysts warning that Laos is emerging as a hub for North Korea’s operatives exploiting its weak banking networks and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374220/how-south-korea-can-curb-pyongyangs-job-scams-laos-weapons-programmes https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374220/how-south-korea-can-curb-pyongyangs-job-scams-laos-weapons-programmes Thu, 12 Nov 2026 10:05:03 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A retired woman in eastern China has spent 14 years caring for a former colleague with cancer, brushing off gossip to stand by him. According to Jinan Daily, the story began in 2012, when Zhang Ji, now 76, reconnected with her former supervisor, Zhang Hongquan, after years without contact. Widowed, estranged from his adult children and battling rectal cancer, the 82-year-old was living in squalid conditions in a flat in Jinan, Shandong province. The illness had left his left leg blackened and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3374206/retired-chinese-woman-cares-cancer-stricken-ex-colleague-decade-defying-gossip https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3374206/retired-chinese-woman-cares-cancer-stricken-ex-colleague-decade-defying-gossip Thu, 12 Nov 2026 10:00:21 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen A former ByteDance artificial intelligence scientist’s new venture has released a life sciences AI model that the firm claims outperforms state-of-the-art systems, intensifying the increasingly crowded competition in AI-driven drug discovery. Geodesic Intelligence’s NovaAtom-Lite, an AI model designed to predict the structures and interactions of biomolecules, topped a third-party benchmark in several drug discovery tasks, founder Quanquan Gu said on social media on Wednesday. On the FoldBench... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3374201/former-bytedance-ai-scientist-touts-drug-discovery-model-tops-world-leaders https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3374201/former-bytedance-ai-scientist-touts-drug-discovery-model-tops-world-leaders Thu, 12 Nov 2026 10:00:14 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Hong Kong’s “A Symphony of Lights”, launched in 2004 as the city sought to revive tourism after the Sars outbreak, will take its final bow on November 18, 2026 after 22 years of illuminating Victoria Harbour. The nightly spectacle will give way to seasonal light shows across different districts as authorities seek to refresh the city’s tourism offerings. But the transition has already hit a snag after a planned lighting attraction at The Peak was scrapped following public opposition over its... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3374218/what-look-forward-hong-kongs-symphony-lights-takes-its-final-bow https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3374218/what-look-forward-hong-kongs-symphony-lights-takes-its-final-bow Thu, 12 Nov 2026 09:47:30 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A six-figure dinner bill in Japan involving Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s family has drawn scrutiny over her perceived lavish lifestyle, as ordinary Filipinos grapple with elevated inflation and a slowing economy. The 205,007-peso (US$3,220) tab was racked up at an upscale Tokyo restaurant in 2023 by a group of 11 people. Charged to the credit card of her lawyer-husband, Manases Carpio, the expense took centre stage on Thursday at Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial, which is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374216/duterte-carpio-impeachment-trial-zeroes-us3220-tokyo-meal https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3374216/duterte-carpio-impeachment-trial-zeroes-us3220-tokyo-meal Thu, 12 Nov 2026 09:41:05 +0000